title: Anti-leishmanial activity of the antimicrobial peptide DRS 01 observed in Leishmania infantum (syn. Leishmania chagasi) cells.
abstract: Leishmaniasis is one of the most serious diseases in the world and can be lethal if untreated. This is especially the case for visceral leishmaniasis, which is commonly caused by Leishmania (L.) infantum and for which available medication is still inadequate. A recently described antimicrobial peptide DRS 01 has been reported to kill L. infantum promastigotes, but nothing is known about its mode of action or effect on the cell. In this paper we report the visualization of the interaction between DRS 01 and L. infantum promastigotes using two high resolution microscopic techniques: atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results show considerable morphological changes at and above the IC50 in the treated cells. Both membrane damage and flagella alterations were observed. The results strongly suggest a membrane-directed action for DRS 01 on the Leishmania species studied.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In this paper, the effects of DRS 01, an antimicrobial peptide, is studied in Leishmania infantum using atomic force microscopy as well as standard scanning electron microscopy techniques, with the conclusion of a membrane-based effect by DRS 01 on the parasites.
authors.affiliation: REQUIMTE/Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: peter.eaton@fc.up.pt.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eaton
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia, BIOTEC, Campus de Parnaíba, Universidade Federal do Piauí, UFPI, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Clícia R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bittencourt
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisas em Leishmanioses, Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portella, IDTNP, Teresina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Costa Silva
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia, BIOTEC, Campus de Parnaíba, Universidade Federal do Piauí, UFPI, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leiz M C
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Véras
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisas em Leishmanioses, Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portella, IDTNP, Teresina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos H N
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: REQUIMTE/Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Feio
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia, BIOTEC, Campus de Parnaíba, Universidade Federal do Piauí, UFPI, Parnaíba, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Roberto S A
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Leite
mesh_terms: D029845:Amphibian Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000469:parasitology; D005407:Flagella; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000187:drug effects*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D029845:Amphibian Proteins; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; C070905:dermaseptin
keywords: Atomic force microscopy; Dermaseptins; Leishmania chagasi; Leishmania infantum; Scanning electron microscopy